Counteroffensive

"A human? Then it seems we will have another chance to cross paths with him on the battlefield," Old Demon Ye said coldly. "They say this man relies on a set of fire-controlling demonic banners, and that most of his ability lies in them. Without the demonic banners, wouldn't he merely be a troublesome opponent? Demonic banners are external objects, and they aren't his lifebound magic treasures. If we seize them, we can use them just the same. Why not devise a plan to kill him and take the treasures? Not only will we eliminate a great enemy, but we will also gain a formidable method of our own." A cold glint flickered in Daoist Canghong's eyes; he had clearly been plotting this for a long time. He had never met Qin Sang in person, and most of what he knew of him came by hearsay. The man before him, Old Demon Ye, had clashed with Qin Sang twice: once, Qin Sang had escaped unscathed, and the second time, Ye had lost an avatar. Surely no one understood Qin Sang better than he did. Old Demon Ye shook his head, warning Daoist Canghong not to underestimate the enemy. "During the battle at the Abyss Ruins back then, he couldn't control so many demonic banners yet, but he had already displayed remarkable attainments in swordsmanship. He is also proficient in Thunder Escape, and his speed was astonishing, which was how he escaped. At the time, I assumed it was an innate divine ability of his, which was why I never doubted his demon identity. Furthermore, he is exceptionally skilled in warding techniques, able to come and go freely within the ancient wards at the heart of the Abyss Ruins. Even without the demonic banners, he will not be easy to deal with..." "Does that mean even I will have to steer clear of him in the future?" Daoist Canghong frowned deeply, only now realizing just how troublesome Qin Sang was. "With what happened to Chifa as a warning, Daoist Zhenyi will certainly never give him a chance to be caught alone and ambushed by us. Still, there is no need to deliberately avoid him..." Old Demon Ye gave a cold snort. "The battle at the blood pool was an unexpected turn. I had to go all out to seize and protect this jade skeleton, so I had no choice but to order my avatar to risk everything to stall him, which ultimately led to the avatar's destruction. When we fought, I noticed that although this man can manipulate demonic fire, he hasn't truly subdued it. Bound by his cultivation realm, he leaves quite a few flaws. If we encounter him again, so long as you and I wish to leave, he will never be able to hold us back. And such flaws can sometimes prove fatal!" "Yet our other fellow Daoists cannot withstand such terrifying demonic fire, leaving them to be slaughtered at will!" Daoist Canghong looked somewhat exasperated as he paced back and forth, his tone dissatisfied. "After paying such a price—and even turning the tide of the war against us—all we brought back was a dead jade skeleton. Judging by the results, we shouldn't have been so cautious!" Old Demon Ye's eyes shifted, staring intently at Daoist Canghong. "Are you blaming me for striking too late, Fellow Daoist? Don't forget that this decision was made with your and Fellow Daoist Tianzheng's agreement. Back then, the fiend in the Sin God Palace was reduced to nothing more than a wisp of a remnant soul, yet it nearly wiped us all out. Have you forgotten how perilous that was? The seal on the Blood Lake was far weaker than that of the Sin God Palace, and this person's physical body was completely intact, with remaining strength to constantly batter the seal. Back then, he was imprisoned in Ziwei Palace precisely because of his bloodthirsty nature. If we hadn't suppressed him, we would have become accomplices who let a monster loose. When that happened, what I lost wouldn't have been just an avatar. Who in the entire Beichen Realm could have suppressed him?" Daoist Canghong had no retort. He sighed, "I was not blaming you, Fellow Daoist, merely expressing my regret. Ziwei Palace is profoundly mysterious, and the other secret realms have countless ties to it. This was a chance to glimpse ancient secrets—perhaps even the only chance you and I would ever have in our lives—yet we missed it." Old Demon Ye shared the sentiment and ceased being aggressive. "That jade skeleton is quite peculiar. Not only is it extraordinarily hard, but it also seems to retain traces of bizarre energy. Perhaps it contains information or secret techniques left behind before his death. If we can decipher the jade skeleton, we will surely find something." Daoist Canghong's enthusiasm had waned, and he gave a slight nod. "Let us hope so! However, the pressing matter at hand is the war. The number of top experts in the Two Domains Alliance already exceeds ours; I fear there is no longer any chance of taking the Celestial Alliance." Old Demon Ye walked over to the snow mountain in the center of the hall. Suddenly, he made an astonishing move, raising his hand to strike a palm print squarely onto the miniature mountain. Boom! In an instant, the snow mountain shattered into pieces. The hall was left completely empty. The ancient wards dissipated, and the fragments of the snow mountain vanished entirely, as though they had never existed. "You—!" "It seems you have been immersed in the battlefield for too long, Fellow Daoist, swayed by the desire for victory and defeat, and have forgotten our original purpose. Or could it be that you truly intend to pursue total dominion? If so, I could certainly lend you my full support." Turning around, Old Demon Ye gave Daoist Canghong a searching look. Hearing this, Daoist Canghong's heart gave a jolt. He lowered his head in silent contemplation for a long while, and by the time he looked up, his expression had regained its calm. "What do you propose, Fellow Daoist...?" "Withdraw our troops!" Old Demon Ye said decisively, tracing a line in the air with his finger. "I have already dispatched men to Yucheng at the northern entrance of the Sin Abyss to reinforce its defenses. We shall pull back all the way there, relying on the spirit formation and Nether Crystal Pagodas to defend. No matter how many experts the Two Domains Alliance has, unless they are willing to pay any price, they will never breach it easily. The Two Domains Alliance endured a century of humiliation; why can we not bide our time in hiding? As long as our plans are unaffected, let them have their moment of triumph." "A retreat of over a hundred thousand li—a century of effort wiped out in one stroke!" Daoist Canghong let out a long sigh, but in the end, he agreed to Old Demon Ye's plan. "The Two Domains currently hold overwhelming momentum, so casualties during the retreat will be inevitable. We must ensure no mutiny breaks out. Ah, right, I almost forgot!" Suddenly, Daoist Canghong let out a low exclamation and whispered a piece of secret intelligence to Old Demon Ye—one that concerned Qin Sang. "Qin Sang and Dongyang Bo are on bad terms. This man was originally a disciple of Shaohua Mountain, but for reasons unknown, he betrayed his sect. After forming his nascent soul, he disguised himself as a member of the demon race, not daring to show his true face—in all probability, out of wariness toward Dongyang Bo. From this, one can see how deep the hatred between them runs; they are like fire and water!" Hearing this, Old Demon Ye's eyes brightened. "Impressive, Fellow Daoist, to have uncovered such a secret! However, sly as Dongyang Bo may be, he probably isn't foolish enough to help us scheme against an ally at a time like this. I fear he won't be easily persuaded." "How will we know unless we try? It depends on the depth of their grudge. Even if he refuses now, that might not be the case in the future." Daoist Canghong was unconcerned, treating it merely as a casual probe. Just as they were about to discuss other matters, a report arrived from outside the hall: the frontline encampment was under attack. The Two Domains Alliance had come with immense ferocity, far beyond ordinary. "They're so fast!" Both men were inwardly alarmed and hurried to make arrangements. *** Meanwhile. The Two Domains Alliance had already divided its forces into three prongs, sounding the horn for the counteroffensive. When the Blood Lake opened, Daoist Zhenyi had deployed his forces and launched an offensive, clashing with Daoist Canghong several times. Without Demon Kings to aid them, they had been at a disadvantage and thus concentrated their forces in two main camps: Mount Shiqu and Wangdong City. Now, Daoist Zhenyi and Demon Monarch Tongyou had gone to these two encampments to lead the armies. Qin Sang and Qingjun held the center, commanding the troops newly gathered by the various patriarchs. Having only recently made names for themselves, their foundation was shallow, and the forces under their command were the weakest of the three routes, yet also the most nimble, ready to support either flank at any time. Daoist Zhenyi had made this arrangement intentionally, fearing that Qin Sang and Qingjun lacked commanding experience and might fall into an ambush.